We’ve talked a lot about providing 24/7 communication with your customers via automation tools, like Artificial Intelligence (AI)-driven Chatbots and Interactive Virtual Assistants (IVA). But what if you’re doing it wrong? Too often, this technology is misused to stave off the number of customers getting to live people, while only providing limited, generic information that is not useful or specific to the customer’s concerns. This leads to frustration. How do we turn this around? How do we get customers to love your virtual assistant?
Make it Useful.
Make it useful by providing their specific questions with a specific answer. There are no shortcuts. While you can launch an automated assistant within hours, the result will be a generic bot that makes your whole CX operation look amateurish. Instead, spend the time brainstorming all the reasons people interact with your brand and address each topic with a specific response that addresses the customer’s need. For example, if someone asks your assistant “do you carry Blue Bunny ice cream”, don’t respond with a list of all the brands you carry. Answer the question! “Yes, we carry Blue Bunny Ice Cream!”.
Keep it Timely.
Just like websites, virtual assistants can get stale quickly – even by the day. Let’s say it’s a holiday and someone texts your virtual assistant “are you open today?” You could respond with a generic message listing your business hours, but the lack of specificity can be confusing, leading to an irritated customer. Your virtual assistant should say “Today, we are closed for the Martin Luther King Jr. holiday”.
Make it Available on Everything.
Today’s virtual assistants can converse with customers via phone, text message, web chat and social media messaging. The right technology partner can make your assistant work across all of these channels. One of the mysteries is text messaging. Did you know your company’s main number can be text-enabled so your customers can text or call on the same number? Ask us how.
Keep it Updated.
Inevitably, customers are going to ask things that you didn’t anticipate. The right virtual assistant solution will collect those requests and allow you to add responses. As you continue to tweak your assistant, the number of unanswered requests will plummet, resulting in a professional-grade virtual assistant that your customers will love.
These suggestions are just a few of the things you can do to increase customer adoption of your virtual assistant. If you think a virtual assistant might help your organization, please don’t hesitate to contact us for more information. We can have a discussion around your specific use case, and how we can create the perfect virtual assistant. Contact us below!